Individual Details

Thomas believed to be the fourth son of William and his first wife.
Born in Dallas Co AL ca 1820 but moved as a young boy to Kemper Co MS. In his early 20s the family moved again - to Bienville Parish LA. He may have married Louisa in MS before moving to LA. All of their children born in LA. After his father died, Thomas and his brother Jackson bought the homplace. In 1856 Thomas sold out to Jackson and moved to Winn Parish, LA. He signed an oath to support the Union on 3 Sep 1863 which may have been unpopular with many of his neighbors and family, particularly since two of his half-brothers, Walker and Perry were killed fighting for the Confederacy. The family moved to Freestone Co TX by the time of the 1870 Census. In 1880, he is found living with his son-in-law William Montgomery in Collin Co TX.

1850 Bienville Parish Census: Thomas, age 30 born in AL; Louisa age 20 born in MS; Frances, age 4 and James J., age 2, both born in Louisiana.

A list of Commission Records, 1852-1880, in Winn Parish, found at the LA State Archives, includes
Higginbotham, Thos. Justice of the Peace, Ward 4, 26 Dec 1857

A List of landowers and the date of their land transaction is at the Winn Parish Court House [the Courthouse has had three fires, 1868, 1885, 1917, so much of any historical data is lost]
Entries to 1887 for Winn Parish, District of Ouachita, Louisiana
Higginbotham, Thomas 1859

By 1860, the family was found in Winn Parish, P.O. Winnfield, Hh 197
Thos. Higginbotham, age 40, b. AL
Louisa H. W. age 29, b. MS
All children born in LA: Frances M. age 14, James J. age 12, Wm. L. age 9, Mary H. age 7, Martha E. age 5, Thomas, age 10 months.

Land Patent, Winn Co LA. Issued 2 Jul 1860. 80 acres
NWNW, S20, T12N, R2W
SENW, S20, T12N, R2W
The Federal Tract Book of Federal Land Entries in Ouachita Land District at the Winn Parish Court House shows the same as above: Higginbotham, Thomas S20, T12, R2W, with the date 28 Dec 1859.

There are no records of Winn Parish during the years of the Civils War. However, there is a tax index book, 1864, by John O. Morris who was tax assessor and collector for both Winn & Jackson Parishes. His grandson had the book and made it available to Harley B. Bozeman who then printed the lists in the Winn Parish Enterprise News-American on Mar 10 & 17, 1960.
Included on this list: Hicombotham [sic], Thomas, Ward 4.

1870 Freestone Co TX Census. p.42; Dwelling 105. T. Higginbotham 57 b. in AL; Louisa 40 born MS; Frances 24, Mary 16, Martha E. 12, Thomas 10, Violetta 9, and Willis 6. All children born in Louisiana.

Non Resident Tax Lists exist in Winn Parish, LA, for 1871 and 1872 - Thomas Higginbotham is listed on these.

1880 Collin Co TX Census with son-in-law William Montgomery and daughter Martha. Age 60, born in AL; both his father and mother born in Virginia. Most of the children in Henderson Co. Hh 206
Wm Montgomery, age 23, farmer, b. MS as were his parents
M. E., 20, wife, b. LA, father b. AL, mother b. MS
A. F., age 1, daughter, b. TX
Jo. Demint, age 25, male, boarder, farm laborer, b. TX
Thos. Higenbottom, age 60, father-in-law, b. AL, parents b. VA

Birth	Abt 1820	Dallas County, Alabama
Marriage	1845	LOUISA McGOWAN
Death	Aft 1880

Spouse	LOUISA McGOWAN (1830 - 1870)
Child	Frances M. "Fannie" Higginbotham (1846 - )
Child	James Jackson "Jack" Higginbotham (1848 - 1917)
Child	William Leroy Higginbotham (1850 - 1920)
Child	Mary Higginbotham (1853 - 1882)
Child	Martha Elizabeth Higginbotham (1857 - 1931)
Child	Thomas Higginbotham (1859 - )
Child	LOUISA VIOLETTA HIGGINBOTHAM (1863 - 1928)
Child	Willis Gibson Higginbotham (1864 - )

Father	WILLIAM HIGGINBOTHAM (1788 - 1852)
Mother	MARY DAVIS ( - 1827)
Sibling	[Son] Higginbotham ( - )
Sibling	Moses Higginbotham (1811 - 1849)
Sibling	Lindsey Higginbotham (1812 - 1873)
Sibling	Jackson Higginbotham (1816 - )
Sibling	Melvina Higginbotham (1822 - 1906)
Sibling	William Higginbotham Jr. (1824 - 1906)